Stuck Fermentation??

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motoed

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Question time.. I think I might have a "stuck fermentation"... I'm making the attached recipe. I was in a primary for a week and was at 1.022. Secondary would be 'done' tomorrow, but I'm still only at 1.020 today. So, it really hasn't budged much in a week. Taste is good. but my FG is a bit high. Should I try to do anything to bring it down some more or just let it go and bottle it?

http://pcsdigitalservices.com//display_article.php?id=1036275
 
For future reference. No matter what time table the directions give you, you shouldn't move your beer from the primary vessel until fermentation is complete. Once you've gained experience you'll be able to tell with pretty good accuracy by observing the process, but in the beginning it's best to rely on a hydrometer. Take the first reading no sooner than a week. Take another a few days after that. If the gravity has stopped dropping, it's OK to transfer. If not, repeat in a few days until it has stopped dropping.

Your beer is probably done and ready to go to bottle, but because the gravity is still a bit high, keep the bottles in a tub or some place where if they explode it won't make a mess. Once carbonated to your taste, keep them refrigerated.
 
Try to give your bucket/carboy a couple quick rotations (i.e. - spin it in place) to wake the yeast up. DON'T slosh it around and add oxygen to your batch, but sometimes just a little nudge can give the yeast a reason to keep eating. I recently had a batch that was at 1.010, and was holding there for a couple days. I was curious if it could get lower, so I spun my bucket in my swamp cooler, and a week later it was down to 0.998. By the same token, I think it tasted better before I dropped the FG by 12 points ;)
 
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